The Best of Friends
by xsinge
Summary: One shot. NaruxSaku. Sakura remembers the day she first admitted her thoughts about Naruto, but her friends aren't as accepting.


**A/N: Thank you to all who favorited my OHSHC fic! I wasn't sure anyone was even going to look at it, but to have it being favorited made my week! Arigato gozaimasu! ^^ Okay, so this sprang up while I was listening to Lucky by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat while brushing my teeth and I thought it'd just be perfect. An easy, sweet Saku x Naru friendship fic. The ending is cheesy and kind of rushed, but... um... I hope you enjoy anyway (?)! R&R and I'll love you forever! ^^ ~ Thanks again!**

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><p>Sakura remembered that time too well.<p>

She remembered the girls with their long hair and pretty bows making disgusted sounds when she told them her opinion about him. She remembered how word had spread quickly, and he had found out before the end of the school day. She remembered, and she laughed.

She remembered the look on his face when he had called out her name to try and confirm the news. His eyes had been big with hope and joy, but with caution. She remembered how she had shot him down, telling him that just the idea of it was stupid and that wherever he had heard it from was untrue. She remembered his hurt look, how it became quickly hidden as his eyes glassed over but yet fired up at the same time. She remembered, and she shook her head in disappointment.

She remembered it all so clearly, just like it was yesterday.

_"Oh, come on, Sakura, just tell us!" Ino urged as she cocked her hip and set her hand on it. "I mean, who's it going to hurt? No one. So just spill it. Am I right or am I right, girls? Hinata? What do you think?"_

_Hinata blushed as rolled her eyes. "You're right," she replied dully, sounding uninterested. _

_Sakura shifted her weight anxiously. "But..."_

_"Hm, I guess she _is_ right," Tenten chimed in as she pondered Ino's words. "She has a good point."_

_Sakura bit her lip. "I'm not so sure..."_

_Ino narrowed her eyes._

_She couldn't take it anymore._

_"Okay, okay! I like him, all right? Not in that way, but I like him. He has this... _Thing_ about him. He's different. He doesn't give up, and even though he's _extremely _idiotic, he has..."_

_"Potential?" Hinata offered, her blush deepening slightly._

_Sakura nodded slowly. "Yeah."_

_Ino wrinkled her nose in distaste. "How can you even _say _that? He's an orphan, and he's not even cute."_

_"Well, I guess so, but-"_

_"There's nothing else to it, Sakura. I don't know what's going on in your mind, but it's definitely not right."_

_Sakura stood still as she let Ino's words sink in. "Whatever you say," she mumbled._

_"What?" Ino asked._

_"Nothing," Sakura replied bitterly._

Sakura looked down at the carpet with a smile on her face. Oh, the ignorance. But that afternoon, she remembered, was the real shocker.

_"So... Ano... I don't really know if..." he trailed off._

_"What is it?" Sakura asked quietly. There was a slight breeze as the sun shone brilliantly upon the village, the golden leaves of a tree ruffling and falling every few minutes. He had been sitting on the tire swing that had hung off the tree branch as they spoke quietly after school, after everyone had gone and left._

_"I heard that..."_

_"Yes?" she prompted, getting a bit impatient._

_"I heard that you liked me. As a friend."_

_Sakura stood there, shocked. How had he found out?_

_"Is that true?"_

_"Where did you hear that?"_

_"Word got around, I guess," he muttered. "But... If it's true, I just wanted to let you know that... Thank you. No one has ever told me that before, here at school."_

_Ino's words suddenly flooded her mind-how disgusted they were and ridiculously reasoned. She thought of how stupid she had probably sounded to the girls, and blushed bright red._

_"No, they're not true! Why would I ever say that? Get away from me, you orphan freak!" she shouted, stomping her foot and throwing her arms down in frustration. Her eyes were tight with tension as she glared at him. She only saw his hurt, fierce look for a mere two seconds before she tromped off._

Sakura's smiled faded a little as she thought of her harsh words and how the image of Naruto's hurt look had never faded from her mind ever since that day. Though it quickly regained momentum as she thought of their friendship now.

She could only curse herself for being so foolish and cowardly back then. Now, Naruto and her were best friends-the best type of friends there could be. She couldn't imagine life without him now; he was one of her biggest influences in life as a ninja and as a person. He was, in all honesty, her role model and inspiration. If those two things didn't play big parts in her life, she didn't know what did.

Though it was not to say that Ino was the same today, either. The two were still friends, and Ino was thankfully less ignorant and vain than before and much more disciplined.

And just then, to prove her point, Ino came rushing towards her from the left with bags of (well, what Sakura presumed) newly bought clothes and a grin, and Naruto rushing in from the front of her in his bright orange jumpsuit, waving his arm around in greeting.

She smiled even wider to herself as she thought of the memories she'd make that day.


End file.
